How North Carolina Compares

Transcription

1 How North Carolina Compares A Compendium of State Statistics March 2017 Prepared by the N.C. General Assembly Program Evaluation Division

2 Preface The Program Evaluation Division of the North Carolina General Assembly was established in June 2007 to evaluate whether public services are delivered in an effective and efficient manner and in accordance with the law. As part of that mission, the Division is charged with developing quantitative indicators for measuring the activities performed and services provided by state agencies and the extent to which the activities and services are achieving desired results. How North Carolina Compares provides a framework on selected benchmarks for ranking North Carolina relative to other states and may be useful when evaluating ultimate outcomes of state government programs. This fifth edition of this publication ranks North Carolina on areas including population, health, taxes, expenditures, and education. Data were extracted from the U.S. Census Bureau and other national databanks to assure uniformity of measurement across states. This publication was designed as a quick reference that allows state comparisons across indicators, and we encourage feedback from members of the General Assembly on ways to improve its usefulness. We have provided a guide to reading the compendium on page ii, followed by a summary of how North Carolina ranks on each of the 23 indicators. As described in the reader s guide, the value states aspire to, when known, was ranked first. Otherwise, the highest value was ranked first. Sincerely, John W. Turcotte Director Program Evaluation Division

3 Table of Contents How to Read This Compendium Summary Table Highlights Change in Rank Page ii iv v vi Table Population 1 Percentage Change in Population 2 Median Household Income 3 Unemployment Rate 4 Percentage Employed in Computer or 5 Math Occupations Percentage of Population Living in 6 Poverty Percentage of Population Under Age 7 65 Without Health Insurance Percentage of Adults Overweight or 8 Obese Infant Mortality Rate 9 Per Capita State and Local Taxes 10 State and Local Taxes as a 11 Percentage of Personal Income Per Capita State Taxes 12 Per Capita State Expenditures 13 Per Capita State General Fund 14 Expenditures State General Fund Expenditures as a 15 Percentage of Personal Income Bond Ratings 16 Per Capita State and Local Debt 17 Per Capita Medicaid Expenditures 18 Expenditures Per Pupil, K Percentage of Adults with a High 20 School Education or Less Average Annual In-State Tuition at Public Four-Year Colleges and 21 Universities State Government FTE Employment 22 per 100 Persons Percentage of Roads Maintained by 23 the State An explanation of our methodology appears at the end of the compendium.

4 How to Read This Compendium Rank above the 50-State Average Rank below the 50-State Average Rank Rate 1 Utah Minnesota Washington Massachusetts New Jersey California Iowa New Hampshire Nebraska Connecticut Nevada New York Alaska Oregon North Dakota Idaho New Mexico Colorado Hawaii Rhode Island Vermont Kentucky Texas Wisconsin Wyoming Arizona Maine Montana State Average Florida South Dakota Maryland Pennsylvania Illinois Kansas Missouri Virginia Arkansas Michigan Indiana Oklahoma West Virginia Georgia Ohio North Carolina Tennessee Delaware Alabama South Carolina Louisiana Mississippi 11.4 ii

5 The map shows states ranked above the 50-State Average (according to the table to the left) in gray and states ranked below the 50-State Average in white. The table to the left is shaded to correspond to the shading of the map. Bulleted information includes The value states aspire to for the indicator, when known. Otherwise, the bullet states that the highest value was ranked first. Information about the data in the table, including the time period of the data in the table. North Carolina s rank on the indicator the last time this compendium was published. Additional data on the topic, when available. Some pages include a comparison to the 12 southeastern states, which are defined as Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. A definition of the indicator, if necessary. The source of information in the table and bullets is listed here. iii

6 Summary Table Table Measure Rank 1 Population 10,146, Percentage Change in Population 14.6% 8 3 Median Household Income $47, Unemployment Rate 5.7% 34 5 Percentage Employed in Computer or Math 2.8% 18 Occupations 6 Percentage of Population Living in 16.4% 39 Poverty 7 Percentage of Population Without Health Insurance 13.1% 40 8 Percentage of Adults Overweight or Obese 65.8% 26 9 Infant Mortality Rate Per Capita State and Local Taxes $3, State and Local Taxes as a Percentage of 9.2% 16 Personal Income 12 Per Capita State Taxes $2, Per Capita State Expenditures $5, Per Capita State General Fund Expenditures $2, State General Fund Expenditures as a Percentage of Personal 5.2% 31 Income 16 Bond Ratings AAA 1 17 Per Capita State and Local Debt $5, Per Capita Medicaid Expenditures $1, Expenditures Per Pupil, K-12 $8, Percentage with High School Education or Less 61.3% Average Annual In- State Tuition $7, State Government FTE Employment Percentage of Roads Maintained by the State 74.8% 4 iv

7 Highlights North Carolina and 10 other states ranked 1 st in bond ratings for general obligation bonds in November 2016, receiving the highest rating from all three bond rating services. North Carolina ranked 4 th in the percentage of roads maintained by the state in 2014 at 74.8%. North Carolina ranked 5 th in per capita state and local debt in Fiscal Year at $5,040. Forty-five other states had higher per capita state and local debt. North Carolina ranked 8 th in population growth, increasing by 14.6% between 2006 and North Carolina ranked 8 th in per capita state expenditures in Fiscal Year at $5,145. Forty-two other states had higher per capita state expenditures. North Carolina ranked 9 th in average annual in-state tuition and fees at public four-year colleges and universities in at $7,203. The 50-state average was $9,581. Forty-one other states had higher tuition and fees. North Carolina ranked 10 th in population in 2016 with 10,146,788 residents. North Carolina ranked 13 th in per capita state and local taxes in Fiscal Year at $3,625. Thirty-seven other states had higher per capita state and local taxes. North Carolina and four other states ranked 14 th in state government full-time equivalent (FTE) employment in 2014 at 1.4 positions per 100 persons. North Carolina and one other state ranked 16 th in state and local taxes as a percentage of personal income in Fiscal Year at 9.2%. v

8 Change in Rank To determine change in rank, the rank for each indicator was compared to that indicator s rank in the last edition of this compendium, which was published in For both compendiums, the value states aspire to was ranked first, when known. Otherwise, the highest value was ranked first. North Carolina s rank on an indicator improved if its rank number decreased, and this change is indicated with a. For example, North Carolina s rank improved for per capita state expenditures because North Carolina ranked 8 th on this indicator in this compendium and 13 th in the last compendium. North Carolina s rank on an indicator declined if its rank number increased, and this change is indicated with a. For example, North Carolina s rank declined for percentage of population without health insurance because North Carolina ranked 40 th on this indicator in this compendium and 35 th in the last compendium. North Carolina s rank on an indicator stayed the same if its rank number did not change, and this lack of change is indicated with a =. For example, North Carolina s rank stayed the same for per capita state taxes because North Carolina ranked 19 th on this indicator in this compendium and the last compendium. The table below tallies how many times North Carolina s rank improved, declined, or stayed the same on the 23 indicators included in this compendium. Tally Rank improved 15 Rank declined 3 = Rank stayed the same 5 vi

9 Change in Rank Table Direction of Change Number of Positions 1 Population 1 2 Percentage Change in Population 2 3 Median Household Income 1 4 Unemployment Rate 5 5 Percentage Employed in Computer or Math Occupations 6 Percentage of Population Living in Poverty 7 Percentage of Population Without Health Insurance = Percentage of Adults Overweight or Obese 7 9 Infant Mortality Rate 4 10 Per Capita State and Local Taxes 2 11 State and Local Taxes as a Percentage of Personal Income = 0 12 Per Capita State Taxes = 0 13 Per Capita State Expenditures 5 14 Per Capita State General Fund Expenditures 2 15 State General Fund Expenditures as a Percentage of Personal 2 Income 16 Bond Ratings = 0 17 Per Capita State and Local Debt 1 18 Per Capita Medicaid Expenditures 9 19 Expenditures Per Pupil, K Percentage with High School Education or Less 3 21 Average Annual In- State Tuition 1 22 State Government FTE Employment 4 23 Percentage of Roads Maintained by the State vii = 0

10 1. Population Rank Population 1 California 39,250,017 2 Texas 27,862,596 3 Florida 20,612,439 4 New York 19,745,289 5 Illinois 12,801,539 6 Pennsylvania 12,784,227 7 Ohio 11,614,373 8 Georgia 10,310,371 9 North Carolina 10,146, Michigan 9,928, New Jersey 8,944, Virginia 8,411, Washington 7,288, Arizona 6,931, Massachusetts 6,811, Indiana 6,651, Missouri 6,633, State Average 6,448, Tennessee 6,093, Maryland 6,016, Wisconsin 5,778, Colorado 5,540, Minnesota 5,519, South Carolina 4,961, Alabama 4,863, Louisiana 4,681, Kentucky 4,436, Oregon 4,093, Oklahoma 3,923, Connecticut 3,576, Iowa 3,134, Utah 3,051, Mississippi 2,988, Arkansas 2,988, Nevada 2,940, Kansas 2,907, New Mexico 2,081, Nebraska 1,907, West Virginia 1,831, Idaho 1,683, Hawaii 1,428, New Hampshire 1,334, Maine 1,331, Rhode Island 1,056, Montana 1,042, Delaware 952, South Dakota 865, North Dakota 757, Alaska 741, Vermont 624, Wyoming 585,501

11 This indicator was ranked from the highest value to the lowest value. North Carolina ranked 9 th in population in 2016 with 10,146,788 residents. The 50-state average was 6,448,927. In 2013, North Carolina ranked 10 th on this indicator. Among the 12 southeastern states, North Carolina and three other states (Florida, Georgia, and Virginia) were above the 50-state average. Source: U.S. Census Bureau (2016).

12 2. Percentage Change in Population Rank Percent 1 Utah North Dakota Texas Nevada Colorado South Carolina Idaho North Carolina Washington Florida Wyoming Arizona Delaware Hawaii Alaska South Dakota Oregon Montana Tennessee Georgia Virginia Oklahoma Louisiana State Average Nebraska California Maryland Minnesota New Mexico Arkansas Massachusetts Alabama Kentucky Kansas Iowa Indiana Missouri Wisconsin Pennsylvania Mississippi New Jersey New York Connecticut New Hampshire Ohio Maine West Virginia Vermont Illinois Rhode Island Michigan -1.7

13 States aspire to have population growth. North Carolina ranked 8 th in population growth, increasing by 14.6% between 2006 and The 50-state average was 8%. In 2013, North Carolina ranked 6 th on this indicator. North Carolina s population increased from 8,856,505 residents in 2006 to 10,146,788 in 2016, an increase of almost 1.3 million people. Based on population estimates, the number of foreign-born residents in North Carolina increased by 10.5% between 2010 and The 50-state average was 11.7%. Based on population estimates, the number of North Carolinians over the age of 65 increased by 22.2% between 2010 and The 49-state average was 17.9% (Alaska did not report 2010 data for this indicator). Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (2006, 2016); American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (2010, 2015).

14 3. Median Household Income Rank Income in $ 1 Maryland 75,847 2 Hawaii 73,486 3 Alaska 73,355 4 New Jersey 72,222 5 Connecticut 71,346 6 Massachusetts 70,628 7 New Hampshire 70,303 8 Virginia 66,262 9 California 64, Washington 64, Colorado 63, Minnesota 63, Utah 62, Delaware 61, New York 60, North Dakota 60, Wyoming 60, Illinois 59, Rhode Island 58, Vermont 56, State Average 56, Pennsylvania 55, Texas 55, Wisconsin 55, Nebraska 54, Iowa 54, Oregon 54, Kansas 53, South Dakota 53, Nevada 52, Maine 51, Arizona 51, Georgia 51, Michigan 51, Ohio 51, Indiana 50, Missouri 50, Montana 49, Florida 49, Oklahoma 48, Idaho 48, North Carolina 47, Tennessee 47, South Carolina 47, Louisiana 45, New Mexico 45, Kentucky 45, Alabama 44, West Virginia 42, Arkansas 41, Mississippi 40,593

15 States aspire to a high median household income. North Carolina ranked 41 st in median household income in 2015 at $47,830. The 50-state average was $56,022. In 2013, North Carolina ranked 40 th on this indicator. North Carolina s median household income increased by 4.2% ($1,924) from 2013 to Among the 12 southeastern states, all but Virginia ranked below the 50-state average. Median household income is the middle income of all households half of the households earn more and half earn less. Source: American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (2013, 2015).

16 4. Unemployment Rate Rank Rate 1 North Dakota Nebraska South Dakota New Hampshire Utah Hawaii Iowa Minnesota Vermont Colorado Idaho Montana Kansas Oklahoma Wyoming Maine Virginia Texas Wisconsin Indiana Delaware Ohio Massachusetts Missouri State Average Pennsylvania Arkansas Maryland New York Florida Kentucky Michigan Connecticut New Jersey North Carolina Oregon Washington Tennessee Georgia Illinois Rhode Island South Carolina Alabama Arizona California Louisiana Alaska Mississippi New Mexico Nevada West Virginia 6.7

17 States aspire to a low rate of unemployment. North Carolina ranked 34 th in annual unemployment rate in 2015 at 5.7%. The 50-state average was 5%. In 2013, North Carolina ranked 39 th on this indicator with an 8% unemployment rate. The unemployment rate is the number of people unemployed and actively looking for work divided by the labor force. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2013, 2015).

18 5. Percentage Employed in Computer or Math Occupations Rank Percent 1 Virginia Washington Maryland Colorado Massachusetts California New Jersey Delaware Arizona Minnesota Georgia Utah Texas Rhode Island Illinois New Hampshire Missouri Connecticut North Carolina Oregon Nebraska New York Pennsylvania Kansas Ohio Wisconsin Michigan State Average Florida Vermont Idaho Iowa Alabama Arkansas South Carolina Oklahoma New Mexico Maine Indiana Montana South Dakota Tennessee Kentucky Alaska Hawaii North Dakota Nevada West Virginia Louisiana Mississippi Wyoming 0.9

19 States aspire to high employment in computer and math occupations; these positions typically offer high salaries. North Carolina ranked 18 th in percentage employed in computer or math occupations in 2015 at 2.8%. The 50-state average was 2.5%. North Carolina also ranked 18 th on this indicator in In North Carolina, the 2015 average annual salary for computer and math occupations was $82,770, whereas the average annual salary for all occupations was $44,170. Among the 12 southeastern states, only Georgia and Virginia had a higher percentage employed in computer or math occupations than North Carolina. Percentage employed in computer or math occupations measures the number of people employed in computer or math occupations in comparison to the total number of people employed in the state. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2015).

20 6. Percentage of Population Living in Poverty Rank Percent 1 New Hampshire Maryland Minnesota Vermont Alaska Connecticut Hawaii New Jersey North Dakota Wyoming Virginia Utah Massachusetts Colorado Wisconsin Iowa Washington Delaware Nebraska Kansas Pennsylvania Maine Illinois South Dakota Rhode Island State Average Indiana Montana Nevada Ohio Missouri Idaho California Oregon New York Florida Michigan Texas Oklahoma North Carolina South Carolina Tennessee Georgia Arizona West Virginia Alabama Kentucky Arkansas Louisiana New Mexico Mississippi 22.0

21 States aspire to a low percentage of population living in poverty. North Carolina ranked 39 th in percentage of population in poverty in 2015 at 16.4%. The 50-state average was 14.2%. In 2013, North Carolina ranked 40 th on this indicator. The number of North Carolinians living in poverty in 2015 was 1,607,835. The U.S. Census Bureau uses thresholds to estimate the number of Americans living in poverty. These thresholds are updated annually; the 2015 poverty threshold was $24,036 for a family of four with two children. The poverty thresholds used by the U.S. Census Bureau are different from the poverty guidelines used by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to determine financial eligibility for certain programs such as Medicaid. The percentage of North Carolinians living below 200% of the federal poverty threshold in 2015 ($48,072 for a family of four with two children) was 37.3%. The 50-state average was 32.1%. In 2015, the number of children (under age 18) in North Carolina living in poverty was 529,635, or 23.5% of the youth population. The 50-state average was 19.5%. Sources: American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (2015); U.S. Census Bureau (2015).

22 7. Percentage of Population Under Age 65 Without Health Insurance Rank Percent 1 Massachusetts Vermont Hawaii Minnesota Iowa Wisconsin Rhode Island Delaware Connecticut Kentucky Michigan West Virginia Maryland New Hampshire Pennsylvania Washington Ohio Illinois New York Oregon North Dakota Colorado Nebraska California New Jersey State Average Maine Virginia Kansas Arkansas Indiana Missouri Utah Alabama South Dakota Tennessee Arizona New Mexico South Carolina Idaho North Carolina Wyoming Louisiana Nevada Montana Mississippi Georgia Oklahoma Florida Alaska Texas 19.1

23 States aspire to a low percentage of population without health insurance. North Carolina ranked 40 th in percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance in 2015 at 13.1%. The 50-state average was 10.2%. In 2013, North Carolina ranked 35 th on this indicator. The number of North Carolinians under age 65 without health insurance in 2015 was approximately 1.1 million people. The number of North Carolinians under age 65 without health insurance decreased by 27% between 2013 and 2015, a decrease of 405,296 persons. Among the 12 southeastern states, only Kentucky and West Virginia s percentages of population under age 65 without health insurance ranked better than the 50-state average. Health insurance coverage is defined broadly and may be provided through private or government-sponsored sources. Government sources for those under age 65 include Healthcare.gov, Medicaid, the State Children s Health Insurance Program, state-specific plans, and the Indian Health Service. Source: American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (2015).

24 8. Percentage of Adults Overweight or Obese Rank Percent 1 Colorado Hawaii New York Massachusetts Utah Vermont California Montana Connecticut Washington Rhode Island Minnesota New Jersey New Hampshire Florida Virginia New Mexico Oregon South Dakota Nevada Maryland State Average Idaho Arizona Wyoming Georgia North Carolina Wisconsin Illinois Michigan Pennsylvania South Carolina Missouri Indiana Maine Ohio Iowa Delaware Nebraska North Dakota Alaska Kentucky Kansas Alabama Tennessee Texas Oklahoma Louisiana Arkansas Mississippi West Virginia 71.1

25 States aspire to a low percentage of people who are overweight, obese, or diagnosed with diseases related to obesity. North Carolina ranked 26 th in percentage of adults classified as overweight or obese in 2015 at 65.8%. The 50-state average was 65%. In 2013, North Carolina ranked 33 rd on this indicator. North Carolina ranked 31 st in percentage of adults diagnosed with diabetes in 2015 at 10.7%. The 50- state average was 10.2%. Overweight and obese are labels for ranges of weight that are greater than what is generally considered healthy for a given height. The terms also identify ranges of weight that have been shown to increase the likelihood of certain diseases and other health problems. Sources: Kaiser Family Foundation data on adult overweight/obesity rate (2015); Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015).

26 9. Infant Mortality Rate Rank Rate 1 California New Hampshire Massachusetts New Jersey Rhode Island Hawaii Washington Vermont New York Colorado Iowa Connecticut Utah North Dakota Minnesota Nebraska Oregon New Mexico Idaho Montana Nevada Wisconsin Virginia Texas South Dakota Pennsylvania State Average Florida Missouri Arizona Kansas Wyoming South Carolina Maryland Michigan Alaska Illinois Maine Delaware Ohio Tennessee West Virginia Indiana North Carolina Kentucky Georgia Louisiana Arkansas Oklahoma Mississippi Alabama 8.7

27 States aspire to a low infant mortality rate and a low rate of low birthweight babies. North Carolina ranked 42 nd in infant mortality rate at 7.1 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in The 50-state average was 5.9. In 2009, North Carolina ranked 46 th on this indicator. North Carolina s infant mortality rate for African-Americans was 12.1 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2014 more than twice the rate for white infants (5.4). The state's infant mortality rate has decreased more than 44% since 1988 when North Carolina had the highest infant mortality rate in the nation. Sources: Kaiser Family Foundation data on infant death rate (2014); N.C. State Center for Health Statistics data on infant mortality statistics (1988, 2014).

28 10. Per Capita State and Local Taxes Rank Taxes in $ 1 Alabama 3,004 2 Tennessee 3,093 3 South Carolina 3,221 4 Idaho 3,237 5 Florida 3,325 6 Arizona 3,350 7 Georgia 3,380 8 Missouri 3,475 9 Mississippi 3, Utah 3, Oklahoma 3, Kentucky 3, North Carolina 3, South Dakota 3, Indiana 3, Arkansas 3, Michigan 3, Montana 3, Nevada 3, Louisiana 3, West Virginia 3, New Mexico 3, Texas 4, Oregon 4, Ohio 4, Virginia 4, New Hampshire 4, Colorado 4, Kansas 4, Delaware 4, Iowa 4, Washington 4, Wisconsin 4, State Average 4, Pennsylvania 4, Maine 4, Nebraska 4, Rhode Island 5, California 5, Illinois 5, Vermont 5, Maryland 5, Minnesota 5, Hawaii 5, Wyoming 5, Massachusetts 6, New Jersey 6, Connecticut 7, Alaska 7, New York 8, North Dakota 9,747

29 States aspire to have low per capita state and local taxes. North Carolina ranked 13 th in per capita state and local taxes in Fiscal Year at $3,625. The 50-state average was $4,610. In Fiscal Year , North Carolina ranked 15 th on this indicator. Among the 12 southeastern states, North Carolina had lower per capita state and local taxes than Arkansas, Louisiana, Virginia, and West Virginia in Fiscal Year North Carolina ranked 14 th in per capita local taxes in Fiscal Year at $1,262. The 50-state average was $1,740. Per capita taxes and taxes as a percentage of personal income are two commonly used measures that facilitate comparisons across states. They do not describe how taxes might differ, for example, by household income levels or for businesses versus individuals. Source: U.S. Census Bureau data on state and local government finance ( ) and population estimates (2014).

30 11. State and Local Taxes as a Percentage of Personal Income Rank Percent 1 Tennessee Florida Oklahoma South Dakota New Hampshire Alabama Virginia Missouri Georgia Idaho South Carolina Colorado Arizona Texas Washington North Carolina Michigan Indiana Louisiana Utah Kansas Montana Nevada Delaware Kentucky Pennsylvania Oregon Iowa Ohio Arkansas State Average Massachusetts Nebraska Mississippi Wisconsin Maryland Wyoming California Rhode Island New Mexico Connecticut West Virginia New Jersey Illinois Minnesota Maine Vermont Hawaii Alaska New York North Dakota 16.8

31 States aspire to have low state and local taxes as a percentage of personal income. North Carolina ranked 16 th in state and local taxes as a percentage of personal income in Fiscal Year at 9.2%. The 50-state average was 10%. North Carolina also ranked 16 th on this indicator in Fiscal Year Among the 12 southeastern states, North Carolina had lower state and local taxes as a percentage of personal income than Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and West Virginia in Fiscal Year Per capita taxes and taxes as a percentage of personal income are two commonly used measures that facilitate comparisons across states. These measures do not describe how taxes might differ, for example, by household income levels or for businesses versus individuals. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau data on state and local government finance ( ); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data on personal income (2014).

32 12. Per Capita State Taxes Rank Taxes in $ 1 Alaska 1,171 2 Florida 1,838 3 New Hampshire 1,870 4 Tennessee 1,925 5 Georgia 1,934 6 South Dakota 1,951 7 Missouri 1,968 7 South Carolina 1,968 9 Texas 2, Alabama 2, Arizona 2, Louisiana 2, Utah 2, Colorado 2, Idaho 2, Oklahoma 2, Ohio 2, Virginia 2, North Carolina 2, Nevada 2, Kentucky 2, Oregon 2, Indiana 2, Mississippi 2, Nebraska 2, Kansas 2, Michigan 2, Montana 2, Pennsylvania 2, Washington 2, New Mexico 2, State Average 2, Iowa 2, Wisconsin 2, West Virginia 3, Rhode Island 3, Maine 3, Illinois 3, Arkansas 3, Maryland 3, New Jersey 3, Delaware 3, California 3, New York 3, Massachusetts 3, Wyoming 4, Minnesota 4, Connecticut 4, Hawaii 4, Vermont 4, North Dakota 7,584

33 States aspire to have low per capita state taxes. North Carolina ranked 19 th in per capita state taxes in 2015 at $2,497. The 50- state average was $2,914. North Carolina also ranked 19 th on this indicator in Among the 12 southeastern states, North Carolina had lower per capita state taxes than Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and West Virginia in Per capita taxes and taxes as a percentage of personal income are two commonly used measures that facilitate comparisons across states. They do not describe how taxes might differ, for example, by household income levels or for businesses versus individuals. Source: U.S. Census Bureau data on state government tax collections and population estimates (2015).

34 13. Per Capita State Expenditures Rank Expenditures in $ 1 Florida 4,187 2 Georgia 4,506 3 Tennessee 4,663 4 Nevada 4,666 5 Texas 4,846 6 Arizona 4,945 7 Missouri 5,025 8 North Carolina 5,145 9 Idaho 5, South Dakota 5, Nebraska 5, Indiana 5, New Hampshire 5, Colorado 5, Utah 5, Virginia 5, Alabama 5, Kansas 5, South Carolina 5, Illinois 6, Oklahoma 6, Michigan 6, Mississippi 6, Wisconsin 6, Kentucky 6, Washington 6, Pennsylvania 6, Iowa 6, Ohio 6, Louisiana 6, Arkansas 6, State Average 6, Maryland 6, Maine 6, Montana 7, West Virginia 7, California 7, Oregon 7, Minnesota 7, New Jersey 7, Rhode Island 7, Connecticut 8, New Mexico 8, Massachusetts 8, Hawaii 8, New York 9, Delaware 9, Vermont 10, Wyoming 10, North Dakota 10, Alaska 17,538

35 States aspire to have low per capita state expenditures. North Carolina ranked 8 th in per capita state expenditures in 2014 at $5,145. The 50-state average was $6,917. In 2012, North Carolina ranked 13 th on this indicator. Among the 12 southeastern states, only Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee had lower per capita state expenditures than North Carolina in Per capita state expenditures is a commonly used measure that allows comparisons across states regarding how much is spent per person in a state. This measure does not describe how state expenditures might differ, for example, by the types of services covered. Source: U.S. Census Bureau data on state government finance (2014) and population estimates (2014).

36 14. Per Capita State General Fund Expenditures Rank Expenditures in $ 1 New Hampshire Michigan Nevada 1,103 4 South Carolina 1,311 5 Arizona 1,317 6 Florida 1,323 7 Missouri 1,378 8 Alabama 1,614 9 Arkansas 1, South Dakota 1, Mississippi 1, Colorado 1, Idaho 1, Texas 1, Oklahoma 1, Utah 1, Louisiana 1, Georgia 1, Tennessee 1, Montana 1, Oregon 1, Nebraska 2, North Carolina 2, Kansas 2, Iowa 2, Virginia 2, Kentucky 2, Illinois 2, Indiana 2, Pennsylvania 2, Vermont 2, Washington 2, West Virginia 2, Maine 2, Ohio 2, State Average 2, Wisconsin 2, California 2, Maryland 2, New Mexico 2, New York 3, Rhode Island 3, New Jersey 3, Minnesota 3, Delaware 4, Massachusetts 4, North Dakota 4, Hawaii 4, Connecticut 4, Wyoming 5, Alaska 9,809

37 States aspire to have low per capita state General Fund expenditures. North Carolina ranked 23 rd in per capita state General Fund expenditures in Fiscal Year at $2,037. The 50- state average was $2,498. In Fiscal Year , North Carolina ranked 25 th on this indicator. Among the 12 southeastern states, North Carolina had lower per capita state General Fund expenditures than Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia in Fiscal Year Per capita state General Fund expenditures and state General Fund expenditures as a percentage of personal income are two commonly used measures that facilitate comparisons across states. They do not describe how state General Fund expenditures might differ, for example, by the types of services covered. Sources: Fiscal Year State Expenditure Report, National Association of State Budget Officers (2015); U.S. Census Bureau data on population estimates (2014).

38 15. State General Fund Expenditures as a Percentage of Personal Income Rank Percent 1 New Hampshire Michigan Nevada Florida Missouri Colorado Arizona South Carolina South Dakota Texas Oklahoma Nebraska Alabama Virginia Arkansas Louisiana Kansas Washington Idaho Illinois Pennsylvania Iowa Vermont Georgia Maryland Tennessee Oregon Utah Mississippi Montana California North Carolina State Average Indiana New York Wisconsin Maine Kentucky Ohio New Jersey West Virginia Rhode Island Massachusetts Minnesota Connecticut New Mexico North Dakota Delaware Wyoming Hawaii Alaska 18.2

39 States aspire to have low state General Fund expenditures as a percentage of personal income. North Carolina ranked 31 st in state General Fund expenditures as a percentage of personal income in Fiscal Year at 5.2%. The 50-state average was 5.4%. In Fiscal Year , North Carolina ranked 33 rd on this indicator. Among the 12 southeastern states, North Carolina had lower state General Fund expenditures as a percentage of personal income than Kentucky and West Virginia in Fiscal Year Per capita state General Fund expenditures and state General Fund expenditures as a percentage of personal income are two commonly used measures that facilitate comparisons across states. These measures do not describe how state General Fund expenditures might differ, for example, by the types of services covered. Sources: Fiscal Year State Expenditure Report, National Association of State Budget Officers (2015); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis data on personal income (2014).

40 16. Bond Ratings Moody's S&P Fitch Delaware Aaa AAA AAA Georgia Aaa AAA AAA Iowa Aaa AAA AAA Maryland Aaa AAA AAA Missouri Aaa AAA AAA North Carolina Aaa AAA AAA South Dakota Aaa AAA AAA Tennessee Aaa AAA AAA Texas Aaa AAA AAA Utah Aaa AAA AAA Virginia Aaa AAA AAA Nebraska AAA Wyoming AAA Florida AAA Aa1 AAA Indiana AA-plus Aaa AAA South Carolina AAA Aaa AA-plus Vermont AAA Aaa AA-plus Idaho AA-plus Aa1 AA-plus Massachusetts AA-plus Aa1 AA-plus Minnesota AAA Aa1 AA-plus New York AA+ Aa1 AA-plus North Dakota -- Aa1 AA-plus Ohio AA-plus Aa1 AA-plus Oregon AA-plus Aa1 AA-plus Washington AA-plus Aa1 AA-plus Alabama AA-plus Aa1 AA Alaska AA-plus Aa2 AA-plus Hawaii AA Aa1 AA-plus Mississippi AAA Aa2 AA Montana AA-plus Aa1 AA New Hampshire AA-plus Aa1 AA Oklahoma AA-plus Aa2 AA-plus Arkansas -- Aa1 AA Colorado -- Aa1 AA New Mexico -- Aa1 AA Nevada AA-plus Aa2 AA Arizona Aa2 AA Maine AA Aa2 AA Michigan AA Aa1 AA-minus Rhode Island AA Aa2 AA West Virginia AA Aa1 AA-minus Wisconsin AA Aa2 AA Kansas -- Aa2 AA-minus Louisiana AA-minus Aa3 AA California AA-minus Aa3 AA-minus Connecticut AA-minus Aa3 AA-minus Kentucky AA-minus Aa2 A-plus Pennsylvania AA-minus Aa3 AA-minus New Jersey A A2 A-minus Illinois BBB-plus Baa2 BBB

41 States aspire to have high bond ratings from the three rating services (Moody s Investor Services, Standard & Poor s Corporation, and Fitch Ratings). North Carolina and 10 other states ranked 1 st in bond ratings for general obligation bonds in November 2016, receiving the highest rating from all three bond rating services. In November 2014, North Carolina and nine other states ranked 1 st on this indicator. States are ranked by the average value of their bond rating on a 10-point scale with a AAA rating equal to 10 points. State bond ratings affect the interest rates paid when state governments issue general obligation bonds. General obligation bonds are issued for funding permanent capital improvements such as buildings and roads. These bonds are repaid by levying taxes, and voter approval is required by the North Carolina Constitution. Source: N.C. Department of the State Treasurer (2016, November).

42 17. Per Capita State and Local Debt Rank Debt in $ 1 Wyoming 3,389 2 Idaho 3,814 3 Mississippi 4,760 4 Oklahoma 4,809 5 North Carolina 5,040 6 Montana 5,229 7 Tennessee 5,313 8 Arkansas 5,392 9 Georgia 5, Iowa 6, West Virginia 6, Maine 6, Alabama 6, South Dakota 6, Utah 6, North Dakota 7, Arizona 7, Vermont 7, Ohio 7, Indiana 7, Wisconsin 7, New Mexico 7, Missouri 7, Michigan 7, Florida 7, Virginia 7, Nebraska 8, New Hampshire 8, State Average 8, Maryland 8, Delaware 8, Louisiana 8, South Carolina 8, Kansas 8, Minnesota 8, Oregon 9, Kentucky 9, Nevada 9, Texas 9, Pennsylvania 9, Hawaii 10, Colorado 10, California 11, New Jersey 11, Washington 11, Rhode Island 11, Illinois 11, Alaska 12, Connecticut 12, Massachusetts 13, New York 17,492

43 States aspire to have low per capita state and local debt. North Carolina ranked 5 th in per capita state and local debt in Fiscal Year at $5,040. The 50-state average was $8,255. In Fiscal Year , North Carolina ranked 6 th on this indicator. In regards to state debt, North Carolina ranked 8 th in per capita state debt in Fiscal Year at $1,797. The 50- state average was $3,768. Per capita state and local debt is a commonly used measure that allows easy comparisons across states. This measure does not describe how state and local debt might differ, for example, by the types of debt instruments available to state and local governments. Source: U.S. Census Bureau data on state and local government finance ( ) and population estimates (2014).

44 18. Per Capita Medicaid Expenditures Rank Expenditures in $ 1 Utah South Dakota Georgia Wyoming Virginia Nebraska Kansas 1,046 8 Idaho 1,047 9 Florida 1, Nevada 1, Alabama 1, North Dakota 1, Montana 1, South Carolina 1, Oklahoma 1, New Hampshire 1, Texas 1, Illinois 1, North Carolina 1, Colorado 1, Wisconsin 1, Tennessee 1, Indiana 1, Hawaii 1, Iowa 1, Washington 1, Arizona 1, State Average 1, Missouri 1, New Jersey 1, Maryland 1, Michigan 1, Mississippi 1, Louisiana 1, Pennsylvania 1, Arkansas 1, Ohio 1, Alaska 1, Maine 1, Delaware 1, Minnesota 1, West Virginia 1, Oregon 2, Kentucky 2, Connecticut 2, California 2, Massachusetts 2, New Mexico 2, Rhode Island 2, Vermont 2, New York 3,029

45 States aspire to have low per capita Medicaid expenditures and low Medicaid enrollment. North Carolina ranked 19 th in per capita Medicaid expenditures in Fiscal Year at $1,344. The 50-state average was $1,577. In Fiscal Year , North Carolina ranked 28 th on this indicator. North Carolina ranked 22 nd in Medicaid enrollment as a percentage of population in Fiscal Year at 19.8%. The 50-state average was 21%. Total Medicaid expenditures include state and federal expenditures for benefit payments and disproportionate share hospital payments. Administrative costs and accounting adjustments are not included. Sources: Kaiser Family Foundation data on total Medicaid spending ( ) and total Medicaid enrollment as a percentage of total state population ( ).

46 19. Expenditures Per Pupil, K 12 Rank Spending in $ 1 New York 20,156 2 New Jersey 18,780 3 Alaska 18,466 4 Connecticut 18,401 5 Vermont 18,066 6 Wyoming 15,903 7 Massachusetts 15,886 8 Rhode Island 15,372 9 New Hampshire 14, Maryland 14, Pennsylvania 13, Delaware 13, Maine 13, Illinois 13, Hawaii 12, North Dakota 12, Nebraska 11, State Average 11, Ohio 11, Minnesota 11, West Virginia 11, Wisconsin 11, Virginia 10, Montana 10, Louisiana 10, Michigan 10, Iowa 10, Washington 10, Kansas 10, Oregon 9, Missouri 9, Arkansas 9, California 9, South Carolina 9, Kentucky 9, New Mexico 9, Indiana 9, Georgia 9, Alabama 9, Colorado 9, South Dakota 9, Florida 8, Tennessee 8, Texas 8, North Carolina 8, Nevada 8, Mississippi 8, Oklahoma 7, Arizona 7, Idaho 6, Utah 6,546

47 States aspire to high spending per pupil in K 12 education. North Carolina ranked 44 th in total spending (all sources) per pupil at $8,287 in Fiscal Year The 50- state average was $11,470. In , North Carolina ranked 45 th on this indicator. In previous editions, the Program Evaluation Division used state funding (revenues) per pupil instead of total expenditures (spending) per pupil. Because many states rely more heavily on local property taxes than North Carolina, reporting only state funding understates funding available in other states. The revised measure is uniform nationally and is adjusted for inflation to allow comparability across years. Although funding per pupil is not as useful of an indicator as spending per pupil, North Carolina ranked 48 th in total revenues per pupil at $8,573 in Fiscal Year The 50-state average was $12,901. Revenue includes all federal, state, and local funding. North Carolina s reported total spending was lower than total revenues because spending refers only to current spending and does not include revenue used for financing and application of funds for long-term debt. Source: Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education (2014).

48 20. Percentage of Adults with a High School Education or Less Rank Percent 1 Massachusetts Colorado Connecticut Minnesota Vermont New Hampshire Maryland Virginia New Jersey Washington New York North Dakota Hawaii Rhode Island Utah Illinois Oregon Nebraska Kansas California Maine Montana Delaware Wisconsin North Carolina South Dakota State Average Iowa Florida Pennsylvania Alaska Georgia Wyoming Michigan South Carolina Arizona Missouri Idaho Ohio Texas New Mexico Indiana Tennessee Alabama Oklahoma Nevada Kentucky Mississippi Louisiana Arkansas West Virginia 73.5

49 States aspire to a low percentage of adults with a high school education or less and a high percentage of adults with a college degree. North Carolina ranked 25 th in percentage of adults age 25 and over with a high school education or less in 2015 at 61.3%. The 50-state average was 61.5%. In 2013, North Carolina ranked 28 th on this indicator. In North Carolina, 13.4% of adults have less than a high school education and 26.4% have no more than a high school diploma or equivalent. An additional 21.5% have a high school education and have attended some college but do not have a college degree. North Carolina s high school graduation rate in 2016 was 85.8%. North Carolina ranked 25 th in percentage of population age 25 and over with a college degree in 2015 at 38.7%. The 50-state average was 38.5%. The percentage of adults with a high school education or less measures the number of adults age 25 and over whose highest educational attainment is a high school diploma, an equivalent, or less. This measure includes adults that have attended college but do not have a college degree. Sources: American Community Survey, 1-Year Estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (2015); N.C. Department of Public Instruction data on graduation rate (2016).

50 21. Average Annual In-State Tuition at Public Four-Year Colleges and Universities Rank Tuition and Fees in $ 1 Wyoming 5,055 2 Florida 6,356 3 Montana 6,409 4 Utah 6,581 5 New Mexico 6,618 6 Nevada 6,907 7 Idaho 7,010 8 Alaska 7,130 9 North Carolina 7, Mississippi 7, West Virginia 7, New York 7, Nebraska 7, North Dakota 7, Oklahoma 8, South Dakota 8, Arkansas 8, Iowa 8, Georgia 8, Missouri 8, Louisiana 8, Kansas 8, Wisconsin 8, Indiana 9, Washington 9, California 9, Maryland 9, Tennessee 9, Texas 9, State Average 9, Maine 9, Oregon 9, Kentucky 9, Alabama 10, Colorado 10, Ohio 10, Hawaii 10, Minnesota 10, Arizona 10, Rhode Island 11, Connecticut 11, Delaware 11, South Carolina 12, Massachusetts 12, Virginia 12, Michigan 12, Illinois 13, New Jersey 13, Pennsylvania 13, Vermont 15, New Hampshire 15,650

51 States aspire to have low average annual in-state tuition at public four-year and two-year colleges and universities. North Carolina ranked 9 th in average annual in-state tuition and fees at public four-year colleges and universities in at $7,203. The 50-state average was $9,581. North Carolina ranked 10 th on this indicator in With regards to two-year institutions, North Carolina ranked 4 th in average annual in-state tuition and fees at public two-year institutions in at $2,425. The 49-state average was $4,069 (Alaska did not report data for this indicator). Sources: Trends in College Pricing, College Board (2016).

52 22. State Government FTE Employment per 100 Persons Rank Employees 1 Florida Illinois Nevada California Texas Arizona Tennessee Ohio New York Georgia Pennsylvania Wisconsin Indiana North Carolina Idaho New Hampshire Michigan Missouri Maryland Colorado Minnesota Massachusetts Virginia New Jersey Maine Louisiana Iowa South Carolina Oregon South Dakota Nebraska Washington Kansas Rhode Island State Average Oklahoma Connecticut Alabama Utah Mississippi Kentucky Montana Arkansas West Virginia New Mexico Wyoming Vermont North Dakota Delaware Alaska Hawaii 4.1

53 States aspire to have low state government employment. North Carolina ranked 14 th in state government full-time equivalent (FTE) employment in 2015 at 1.4 positions per 100 persons. The 50-state average was 1.7. In 2012, North Carolina ranked 18 th on this indicator. The average salary for North Carolina state employees (not including employees in public schools, community colleges, or the University of North Carolina System) was $46,784 in Fiscal Year In terms of state and local government FTE employment, North Carolina ranked 33 rd in 2014 at 5.5 positions per 100 residents. The 50-state average was 5.4. FTE represents the number of full-time employees that could have been employed if all part-time hours had been worked by full-time employees. States vary as to whether certain major functions are provided by state or local government. The U.S. Census Bureau data on state government FTE does not consider public school teachers and administrators in North Carolina to be state employees. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau data on state government employment and payroll (2014, 2015) and population estimates (2014, 2015); Fiscal Research Division (2016, December).

54 23. Percentage of Roads Maintained by the State Rank Percent 1 West Virginia Delaware Virginia North Carolina South Carolina Maine Alaska Kentucky Pennsylvania Louisiana Missouri Texas New Hampshire Wyoming State Average Hawaii Vermont Rhode Island New Mexico Connecticut Maryland Arkansas Ohio Montana Tennessee Mississippi Georgia New York Utah Nevada Indiana Illinois Oklahoma Alabama Nebraska Oregon Arizona Colorado Wisconsin Florida Idaho South Dakota Washington Minnesota North Dakota Massachusetts Michigan Iowa California Kansas New Jersey 6.0

55 This indicator was ranked from the highest value to the lowest value. North Carolina ranked 4 th in the percentage of roads maintained by the state in 2015 at 74.8%. The 50-state average was 21.5%. In 2012, North Carolina also ranked 4 th on this indicator. North Carolina ranked 16 th in miles of roads maintained by the state in 2015 with 106,334 miles. The 50-state average was 83,064 miles. North Carolina was the first state in the country to create and maintain a statewide highway system. North Carolina state government also is responsible for all non-municipal roads within county boundaries. Roads not maintained by state government are maintained by local government (county, municipality, or other jurisdictions) or a federal agency. Sources: Highway Statistics, Federal Highway Administration (2015); Our State, Our Money: A Citizen s Guide to the North Carolina Budget (2003).